- User‑Generated Creativity: Fan Style empowers diners to design and name custom orders, integrating user creativity directly into Taco Bell’s mobile experience.
- Reward Incentive: Creators earn loyalty points equal to the order value each time their recipe is purchased, encouraging promotion and repeat engagement.
- Free Ad Opportunities: A time‑limited “Tuesday Drop” lets top creators advertise on billboards and sky banners, blending digital and physical marketing.
- Menu Innovation Pipeline: Popular Fan Styles may graduate to the national menu, judged on creativity, name appeal, and operational feasibility.
- Brand Engagement Strategy: By merging mobile ordering, gamification, and user‑generated content, Taco Bell deepens customer loyalty and social media buzz.
Reward‑based customization drives engagement by letting fans name, share, and profit from their own menu hacks.
Taco Bell’s Fan Style initiative transforms every app user into a potential menu architect. Inside the Taco Bell app, customers can select any combination of ingredients—adding, swapping, or removing items—to craft bespoke creations that reflect their individual tastes. Once their culinary vision is complete, they assign it a unique name, turning an ordinary taco into a branded experience they can call their own.
@mtb_managementtacobell Exciting news for Taco Bell lovers! Fan style has arrived and YOU can help shape what comes next. 🌮🔥 Download our app now to join the fan community and share your ideas—your taste could inspire the next big thing! #TacoBellFam #FanStyle #BeTheFirst @tacobell
Beyond just building a one-off order, users generate a custom graphic that packages their creation with shareable flair. That graphic, linked directly back to the recipe, makes it simple for friends or social followers to place the identical order with a single tap.
This seamless “design-and-distribute” mechanic removes friction between creative expression and real‑world consumption.
Turning Creativity into Rewards and Recognition
Fan Style doesn’t stop at self‑expression. For every purchase of a fan’s custom recipe, the creator earns loyalty points equal to the order’s value. Over time, these points stack into free menu items, effectively monetizing creativity in a system where effort directly translates into rewards.
Taco Bell has reimagined word‑of‑mouth marketing into a quantifiable economy, where fan advocacy fuels both engagement and sales.
What’s more, Taco Bell amplifies standout creations with a one‑time “Tuesday Drop,” granting select users free advertising space on billboards, movie theater previews, or even sky banners.
@tacobell liv said no really try this. create your own fan style in the app
This rare opportunity elevates fan designs from in‑app experiments to public spectacles, giving creators a moment in the spotlight and Taco Bell an organic burst of shareable buzz.
From App Hack to National Menu
The Fan Style program doubles as a crowdsourced innovation lab. Later this year, Taco Bell will evaluate the most ordered and operationally feasible fan creations to feature on its national menu for a limited run. Submissions are judged on creativity, naming appeal, flavor balance, and kitchen practicality—ensuring that fan favorites are both inventive and executable at scale.
This approach blurs the lines between corporate R&D and grassroots innovation. Instead of relying solely on internal focus groups, Taco Bell taps into the genuine preferences of its faithful customers. By doing so, the chain gains not only fresh menu items but also powerful marketing narratives: each limited‑time Fan Style carries a story of its originator, deepening the emotional connection between brand and consumer.
Lessons for Marketers Embracing Co‑Creation
- Foster Genuine Ownership: Inviting users to co‑design products cultivates a sense of personal investment. When customers see their ideas brought to life—and rewarded—they become vocal advocates, driving organic reach and boosting loyalty metrics.
- Incentivize Peer Promotion: Taco Bell’s reward structure aligns consumer referrals with brand goals. Rewarding creators for every purchase of their custom orders turns social shares into measurable conversions, creating a self‑sustaining loop of creation, sharing, and redemption.
- Bridge Digital and Physical Touchpoints: The physical activation of free billboard ads demonstrates how digital campaigns can spill over into the real world, generating additional media impressions and reinforcing the community‑driven spirit of the program.
By weaving these elements together, marketers can transform passive audiences into active participants, leveraging co‑creation as both a growth engine and a rich source of brand storytelling.
